ENGL 1301/1302 (English Composition I & II) - Mr. C. Rose

Google Scholar

Unlike regular Google, Google Scholar searches only for scholarly literature and academic sources. That's why it's a better resource for college research than regular Google.

Much of what is in Google Scholar is also in the library databases, which you can search using the library search engine. 

Some of what you find in Google Scholar will not be in the library databases. Of these, some will be available for free, but others will be behind paywalls. If you are asked to pay to view the entire article, it is behind a paywall.

Never pay to access a scholarly article! If you find something in Google Scholar that's not available from the MCC Library, request it through interlibrary loan for free!

Prefer a video? Check this one out!

Customizing Google Scholar

You can customize Google Scholar to link to articles from the MCC Library.

1. Go to https://scholar.google.com/
2. Click the horizontal lines in the left corner next to the Google Scholar logo (Chrome browser) or next to My profile.
3. Click Settings and then Library links
4. Type MCC Library and hit enter
5. Deselect any other libraries and check the box next to MCC Library - Full-Text @ MCC Library
6. Click Save
7. Enter your search terms

Click the Full-Text @ MCC Library beside the article to access it. For results with no link to the MCC Library, you may get free full text or be asked to pay.

If the source you need isn't in the MCC Library, you might be able to borrow it from another library by using the free interlibrary loan (ILL) program.

Print books, electronic articles, and chapters from eBooks are usually available through ILL. Complete eBooks are never available through ILL.

If you find an item through Google Scholar, search for it in the MCC Library. You will get a message asking you if want to search Libraries Worldwide. Click on Libraries Worldwide, and the item should appear.

Once you click the item's linked title, you should see the button below. 

Clicking the button will open an ILL form. Most of it will be pre-filled. All you have to do is fill out your first and last name and your email address. Finally, click the blue Submit request button.

Electronic items usually arrive within 3-5 days. Print books must be sent through the mail, so they take several weeks to arrive.

Let's talk about Wikipedia!

You've heard that you shouldn't use Wikipedia for college work. Have you wondered why? Here are two reasons you shouldn't cite Wikipedia articles as a source:

1. Most Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, which means they may have errors or bias. Wikipedia's supporters claim that because so many people read the articles, incorrect information can be corrected. They have a point, but Wikipedia isn't currently acceptable as a source.

2. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, and encyclopedias are too broad and general to be good research sources. Most professors won't allow you to use any encyclopedia articles, even ones from the library, as a source.

Use Wikipedia responsibly

Even though you can't use Wikipedia as a final source, you can still use it during the research process. It can help you do three things:

1. Get a general overview of a topic. If you don't know much about a topic, Wikipedia can provide a general overview of the subtopics and people or organizations involved. 

2. Find keywords. Wikipedia articles define key terms related to a topic. Once you find these terms, you can use them to search the library's databases and Google Scholar.

3. Find more reliable sources. Most Wikipedia articles have a list of references, or sources, at the bottom of the page. Some won't be reliable, like personal blog posts, but others will be reliable, like scholarly articles.

Prefer a video? Check this one out!

This video is from Penn State, but the tips can be used with the MCC Library, too!